The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa

Genre: fantasy
Series and Book #: The Iron Fey #5
Pages: 377
Summary:

Don’t look at Them. Never let Them know you can see Them.

 

That is Ethan Chase’s unbreakable rule. Until the fey he avoids at all costs—including his reputation—begin to disappear, and Ethan is attacked. Now he must change the rules to protect his family. To save a girl he never thought he’d dare to fall for.

 

Ethan thought he had protected himself from his older sister’s world—the land of Faery. His previous time in the Iron Realm left him with nothing but fear and disgust for the world Meghan Chase has made her home, a land of myth and talking cats, of magic and seductive enemies. But when destiny comes for Ethan, there is no escape from a danger long, long forgotten. 

 

My name is Ethan Chase. And I may not live to see my eighteenth birthday.

 

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Ethan is Meghan's brother. Originally, I thought he'd be interested in the fey and wanting to learn more about them, but that wasn't the case. Ethan was brutal when it came to the fey. His thoughts toward them were volatile and harsh. They had screwed up his life and he wasn't exactly forgiving about that. When he needs Meghan's help, he doesn't like it. After all, she's with Them now. There wasn't a ton of Meghan in this story. She was there but it was from Ethan's perspective and his interaction with his sister was short. He didn't like being in Faerie and he harbored a deep pain toward Meghan. Not only that, but there is the return of the Forgotten seen in The Iron Knight. It's going to be another crazy series with another brand of fey no one wants around.

 

Ethan was an interesting character. As much as he dislikes the fey, when his half-blood friend needs his help, he returns to Faery to gain answers. When Meghan won't help, he forges on anyway, trusting another faerie in the process. Also, his relationship with Kenzie is always should-I? Shouldn't-I? It was fun to see her always teasing him to get a rise. She was an excellent opposite of his character. Their interaction was wonderful.

 

Overall,  this book was amazing. To me, it was better than its four predecessors. The reappearance of characters from the previous books (including my favorite faerie, Leananside) and seeing them from Ethan's completely different perspective was interesting. Also, the appearance of some new faeries and the parallels Kagawa put in to the first four novels was great. I'm interested to see where the series will go and how it will end.

 

The Cover: I don't understand the leaves and branches on Ethan's body. But it's still kinda cool.

The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa

Genre: fantasy
Series and Book #: The Iron Fey #4
Pages: 360
Summary:

My name—my True Name—is Ashallayn’darkmyr Tallyn. I am the last remaining son of Mab, Queen of the Unseelie Court.

And I am dead to her.

My fall began, as many stories do, with a girl…

To cold faery prince Ash, love was a weakness for mortals and fools. His own love had died a horrible death, killing any gentler feeling the Winter prince might have had. Or so he thought.

Then Meghan Chase—a half human, half fey slip of a girl—smashed through his barricades, binding him to her irrevocably with his oath to be her knight. And when all of Faery nearly fell to the Iron fey, she severed their bond to save his life. Meghan is now the Iron Queen, ruler of a realm where no Winter or Summer fey can survive.

With the unwelcome company of his archrival, Summer Court prankster Puck, and the infuriating cait sith Grimalkin, Ash begins a journey he is bound to see through to its end—a quest to find a way to honor his vow to stand by Meghan’s side.

To survive in the Iron Realm, Ash must have a soul and a mortal body. But the tests he must face to earn these things are impossible. And along the way Ash learns something that changes everything. A truth that challenges his darkest beliefs and shows him that, sometimes, it takes more than courage to make the ultimate sacrifice.

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Ah-ma-zing! This was a beautiful and emotional roller coaster through enchanted lands and forgotten places that finished off a creative series. Ash's voice was refreshing--his unfailing love for Meghan made the novel stand out from the rest, because we can finally see what Ash's feelings are while Meghan made tough choices.

Kagawa was brilliant as usual. Her books are imaginative and they take place in worlds that other faerie authors don't focus on. This book was no different. I loved the Deep Never, the forgotten faeries, the river of dreams.... Her writing is very descriptive. It takes you into the story rather than just reading the words.

Overall, this was a beautiful end to a wonderful series. The adventures Ash had to accomplish in order to reach Meghan was excellently written and a unique idea. Kagawa remains one of my favorite writers for the life she pumps into every story!

The Cover: LOOOOOVE it!

The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa

Genre: fantasy
Series and Book #: Iron Fey Series #3
Pages: 358
Summary:

My name is Meghan Chase.

I thought it was over. That my time with the fey, the impossible choices I had to make, the sacrifices of those I loved, was behind me. But a storm is approaching, an army of Iron fey that will drag me back, kicking and screaming. Drag me away from the banished prince who’s sworn to stand by my side. Drag me into the core of conflict so powerful, I’m not sure anyone can survive it.

 This time, there will be no turning back.

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I make a point of never saying goodbye, princess. Makes it sound like you're never coming back.

-Puck from The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa, page 333

Holy Mother Martha. This was intense. The drama, the adventure, the romance, and the climax created a breathtaking novel. I loved how the true colors of characters came out in this novel and I saw more of the characters. Meghan's character truly became fully exposed as she was forced to make terrible, gut wrenching decisions. Especially risking her own life to save a world she didn't care about two books ago. Her story is very real and I love how much she's changed throughout the books.

Kagawa threw everything into this book! She described the war, the Iron Realm, and the faeries surrounding Meghan with so much spice the characters and settings were like a pop-up book--so real you could see and touch them.

Overall, this was an emotional roller coaster! I finished it last night at midnight and couldn't fall asleep because of all the feelings that I was experiencing. It was crazy! I love you, but I can't have you. I almost died but instead the land saved me. Oh dear goodness I am seriously revving myself up for The Iron Knight!

The Cover: I love Meghan's intense look. It really captures the emotion that is always evident in the book. I think the pink draws the reader away from the seriousness, though

The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa

Genre: fantasy
Series and Book #: The Iron Fey #2
Pages: 384
Summary:

Half Summer faery princess, half human, Meghan has never fit in anywhere. Deserted by the Winter prince she thought loved her, she is prisoner to the Winter faery queen. As war looms between Summer and Winter, Meghan knows that the real danger comes from the Iron fey—ironbound faeries that only she and her absent prince have seen. But no one believes her.

Worse, Meghan’s own fey powers have been cut off. She’s stuck in Faery with only her wits for help. Trusting anyone would be foolish. Trusting a seeming traitor could be deadly. But even as she grows a backbone of iron, Meghan can’t help but hear the whispers of longing in her all-too-human heart.

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FYI, MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS!

The next novel in Kagawa's Iron Fey series was just as phenomenal as The Iron King!

Meghan was even stronger now that she'd been through Faery once, and Ash had severed their love. I loved her unfailing spirit even when the courts turned against her and failed to believe her stories of the Iron Fey. The passion behind the words created whatever emotion Kagawa wanted the reader to feel while reading the chapters. This made the story vivid and lovely.

Ugh. So, I'm definitely Team Ash, and when Meghan decides that she's going to kiss Puck and lead him on, my hands were almost ripping out my hair. And then, I felt pitiful of Puck, who was now hurt and shocked by Meghan's blunt refusal once Ash came back. My actions while reading book: stupidstupidstupid and whywhywhy.

Overall, another excellent novel in a unique Faerie setting. Kagawa's writing is expressive and her storyline is unique. Kagawa's characters are written like real people, making them feel like real people. The dramatic ending was excellent!!! Ahh, love love love romance!

The Cover: Soft and light, but icy bright! I think they resemble Meghan's time in Tir Na Nog nicely

The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

Genre: fantasy
Series and Book #: The Iron Fey Series #1
Pages: 363
Summary:

Meghan Chase has a secret destiny—one she could never have imagined…

Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan’s life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school…or at home.

When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she’s known is about to change.

But she could never have guessed the truth—that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she’ll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face…and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.

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I thought that Kagawa would take this into a typical Faerie myth setting, giving us the usual Summer and Winter characters (I guess I was thinking along the lines of Melissa Marr's Wicked Lovely Series, except less dark and with iron faeries). I loved that Kagawa used the characters from Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream: Puck, Oberon, and Titania! This added a unique spin to Kagawa's story.

Kagawa's incorporation of the Iron Fey was extremely clever. I don't think many people would have even thought of an idea like that. Kagawa's writing is also very flavorful. She uses so many different vocabulary words to describe Faery. She created this magical, vibrant place with grace and beauty. It captivated me from the beginning.

Meghan's transition into Faery and her and Ash's love was very well written. Meghan didn't suddenly wake up ion Faery and be like "Yes, this is who I'm destined to be, princess of Summer". No. She completely rejected it at first and then slowly accepted and loved the world her father and friends lived in. Her relationship with Ash wasn't love-at-first-sight, either. Though it was forbidden (I don't really care for forbidden romances) Kagawa didn't make that extremely apparent and she gave readers (like me) enough so that I got a romance fix without the frustrations of forbidden stuff.

Overall, this was an exciting, imaginative read into Faerie that was exceptionally unique. Kagawa's loose ends at the end added a nice bit of mystery for the next novels, but doesn't create a gnawing need for them right now. An adventurous thrill ride without the agony of forbidden romance while also being a forbidden romance! Hallelujah!

The Cover: Dark, metallic, with twining script and a model that looks like Meghan. One of my favorites